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No one ever said quitting smoking would be easy. After all, nicotine is a powerful drug. Rather than relying on sheer willpower to fight off a cigarette craving, try these activities — all of which can help keep your hands and mind occupied — until the urge subsides.

1. Make a “quit” list. Maybe you decided to quit smoking because you’re having trouble breathing or you want to set a good example for your children — whatever your reasons, write them down. Then, when the urge to smoke comes over you, pull out your list for an instant reminder about why quitting is so important to you, says Andrea King, PhD, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at the University of Chicago and a leader of the Respiratory Health Association’s Courage to Quit program.

2. Take five deep breaths. It may sound trite, but this advice really works. “Most people say their number one trigger for smoking is stress,” says Dr. King. If you believe that smoking helps you relax, you’ll continue to do it every time you experience anxiety.

However, there’s nothing in cigarettes — including nicotine — that’s actually calming, King says. “It might be the deep breathing of smoking that’s actually what brings relief,” she says. Instead of smoking, then, take a break to breathe slowly and deeply five times. Bonus: You don’t even have to go outside to do it.

3. Change your routine. Instead of heading outside for a cigarette break right after lunch, for example, try taking a five-minute walk, calling a friend, or catching up on the news, advises King. Not only do these things help remove temptation, but varying your routines can help you break the habit of reaching for a cigarette.

4. Have a lollipop. Establishing a new hand-to-mouth habit is crucial to kicking your cigarette habit for good. For example, says King, if you smoke half a pack of cigarettes a day and take 12 drags from each cigarette, you’re moving your hand to your mouth 120 times a day. Sucking on a lollipop or hard candy can help establish a new, similar pattern.

And although the benefits of quitting smoking outweigh the risk of a temporary sugar rush, King says, you can always opt for sugar-free candy or munch on crunchy veggies like carrots and celery instead.

5. Take up a hobby. Don’t let idle hands reach for a cigarette. Keep them busy with long-lost hobbies or new activities you’ve always wanted to try. Says King, start knitting, take up gardening, or try a yoga class.

6. Don’t try e-cigarettes. Although some people say that vaping has helped them quit smoking, the evidence isn’t clear. “Studies on vaping are mixed,” King says. In a study published in January 2017 in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, King and her colleagues analyzed young adult smokers’ reactions to being exposed to an e-cigarette. The researchers found that when the smokers were around someone using an e-cigarette, their urge to smoke was the same as if they had been exposed to an actual smoker. Because research hasn’t confirmed whether the chemicals in e-cigarettes are harmful or not, King doesn’t recommend that people trying to quit smoking pick up this habit as a substitute. She adds that, since you still have to bring the e-cigarette to your face, vaping won’t break the hand-to-mouth habit either.